How can I use CASE to label values in a SELECT result?

Add a CASE expression to the SELECT list. For this example, assume the table is named inventory, the count column is stock_count, and the labels mean: zero is out of stock, one through five is low stock, and anything higher is available. Those cutoffs are example choices; replace them with the definitions that fit your use.

SELECT
  item_name,
  stock_count,
  CASE
    WHEN stock_count = 0 THEN 'Out of stock'
    WHEN stock_count <= 5 THEN 'Low stock'
    ELSE 'Available'
  END AS availability
FROM inventory;

The availability value is a label in the query result; it does not update the stored count. In SQLite, a CASE expression returns a value in the SELECT expression. [S1]

The conditions can overlap. A count of zero also satisfies stock_count <= 5, so if the low-stock condition came first, zero would get the “Low stock” label. SQLite tests searched CASE conditions from left to right and returns the THEN result for the first true condition. Put the more specific condition first, then the broader one. [S1]

For the example, that means checking for exactly zero before checking whether the count is at most five. If you want to make the low-stock rule explicit, you can describe it as counts from one through five in your chosen rule. Keep the zero check as its own condition.

Using invented example rows and the assumed labels above, the selected columns would look like this:

item_name       stock_count  availability
Canvas bag      0            Out of stock
Desk lamp       3            Low stock
Notebook set    12           Available

The third row reaches ELSE because neither earlier condition is true. An ELSE is useful as a readable fallback; without a matching WHEN or ELSE, SQLite returns NULL for the CASE result. [S1] You can choose a fallback that suits your report, such as 'Check count', but that is a display choice—not a correction to the underlying data.

Treat the cutoffs as business rules you choose, not values supplied by CASE itself. For instance, if your agreed rule is that counts from one through three are low, change the cutoff condition to stock_count <= 3, keeping the zero condition first. Decide what label should apply to counts outside the named ranges. CASE selects a result for each row; it does not establish whether your chosen thresholds are appropriate.

Before relying on the display, check the column and table names, confirm the intended cutoff and boundary values with whoever owns the reporting rule, and check representative counts such as zero, the cutoff, and one above it. The sample assumes nonnegative counts and ordinary item rows; it does not establish how missing values or unusual data should be classified. Decide that explicitly if it matters, and add a matching condition or fallback label rather than assuming the example covers it.